Dutch croquette maker Royaan, which owns the Kwekkeboom and Van Dobben brands, is planning to take its oven snack technology to Spain next year.

In recent years Dutch fast food makers have been shifting away from deep-fried products and developing croquettes and bitterballen which can be cooked in the oven instead.

Royaan director Bart Bakker told website Nu.nl that the Spanish are traditional fryers and that means they can benefit from the same advantages as the Dutch by switching to oven-based snacks.

‘It is easier, cleaner and doesn’t produce irritating smells,’ he said. ‘In addition, most people have an oven but only half of households have a deep fat fryer.’

Spanish tastes

The company is not planning to take its Dutch snacks to Spain and is working with a local company to make foods for Spanish tastes. Bakker declined to give further details.

England, Germany and Scandinavia are next on the list, Bakker said.

Royaan booked turnover up 15% at €80m last year, and sales have been boosted by the introduction of the Kwekkeboom oven line in 2014.

‘Without the introduction of the oven snacks retail sales would have gone down 2%, he said. ‘Instead they have increased 9%.’